Extensive efforts have been made to control emerging disease infections transmitted by food, water, or contact (Chen Z, et al., J. Polym. Sci. Part A: Polym. Chem., 43:4089-4098 (2005); Makal U, et al., Biomaterials, 27:1316-1326 (2006)). Currently used disinfectants have several limitations including long contact time, bacterial resistance, toxicity, and limited regeneration ability (Eknoian M., et al., Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 37:2873-2877 (1998)). There is a need for new biocidal compounds which overcome these limitations.
Polymers such as cellulose, nylon, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and Kraton rubber have been utilized in various industrial and medical applications (Ken X, et al., Cellulose, 15:593-598 (2008); Sun. Y, et al, J. Polym. Sci. A., 39:3073-3094 (2001); Lin J, et al., J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 81:943-947 (2001); Lin J, et al., J. Appli. Polym. Sci., 85:177-182 (2002); Elrod DB, et al., Rub. Chem. Tech., 74:331-337 (2001); Eknoian M W, et al., Polymer, 40:1367-1371 (1999)). Polymers with biocidal capabilities have been used to disinfect potable water and thereby improve health (Panangala VS, et al., Virol. Meth., 66:263-268 (1997); Liang J, et al., J. Ind. Microbiol. Biotechnol., 34:157-163 (2007)).
N-halamine structures, defined as nitrogen-halogen covalent bonds (Sun Y, et al., J. Polym. Sci. A: Polym. Chem., 39:3073-3084 (2001)), show promise in inactivating Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, viruses, and fungi, through a mechanism involving the direct transfer of positive halogen from N-halamine to appropriate receptors in the bacterial cells (Kenawy E R., et al., Biomacromolecules, 8:1359-1384 (2007); Grunzinger S J, et al., Polym. J., 48:4653-4662 (2007); Sun G, et ale, J. Chem. Ethic., 82:60-64 (2005)). Although some efforts have focused on functionalizing polymers with pendant biocidal moieties, there is a need for N-halamine functionalized polymers which possess a high loading capacity for functional moieties and efficiency for N-halamine bonds, allowing for controlled release of safe biocidal/detoxification elements and supporting the replenishments of active elements upon release.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide compositions for controlled release of biocidal agents from polymers.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of water purification using the compositions to inactivate microbes and remove toxic organic molecules.